Fullmetal Alchemist: Bound by Lineage
by kazukifafner
Summary: Designed as a direct sequel to Fullmetal Alchemist, this follows the next generation and their story  though, of course, characters from the original series will appear . Given the story's nature, spoilers will show up every now and then.
1. The Golden Eyed Inheritance

The harsh winds and harsher sands whipped across the desert that separated Xing from Amestris. The camels of a small caravan making their way through the desert dug in their hooves and paid no mind to the weather. Their human riders, however, couldn't afford such a luxury. No cloak could fully protect them, as blowing sand continued to lash at any fragment of skin left exposed. Even the most experienced desert travelers in their group couldn't evade the environment's harshness.

Towards the back of the group, a young man clutched the hood of his beige cloak with his hands, trying to thwart the sand's entry as best he could. The backs of those hands, and the transmutation circles tattooed on them, took the brunt of the lashing winds; though, his face wouldn't come out unscathed either. No matter which direction he looked, only more sand met his eyes. It seemed it would be a bit longer before he reached his first destination.

The young man watched the other members of the caravan to see how they were holding up. As he expected, they were holding up a lot better than he was. This particular caravan made regular journeys through the desert to trade with Amestris, specifically with Youswell on the Eastern border. When Ling Yao ascended the throne as emperor of Xing, relations with Amestris became far more friendly and stable. Trading between the two countries exploded, turning Youswell from a humble mining town to the main hub of Amestrian-Xingese business.

His family had often traveled with this caravan on their way to visit family in Amestris. The leader was of the same clan as his mother, so getting along with them was easy. They were practically his family as well. Fortunately, along with most other caravans and general travelers, they stopped to rest at the Xerxes Ruins on their way to Youswell, a place the young man had been wanting visit properly without being hurried along by his parents.

A sudden surge in the wind kicked up a wall of sand that plowed into the travelers. The young man held onto his cloak even tighter. Even the camels stopped dead in their tracks while they waited for the brief storm to pass. It lasted all of a couple seconds, but that was more than enough time to make people uneasy. The leader, Gang, took a minute to make sure everyone was alright, paying extra attention to the less-experienced ones.

"Hey, Rob! You alright?" Gang asked him from his position ahead of the troupe. If you could still sit atop your camel, Gang figured he didn't need to go over to you personally.

"Yeah, I'm good." Rob did his best to shake the excess sand out of his short, black hair but to little avail. "Just a little sandy."

Gang laughed. "You should be used to that by now, boy." He cast his gaze over the entire group. "Alright guys, let's keep moving. The ruins aren't too far off."

He was right. In half an hour, the crumbling pillars and lonely walls of the Xerxes Ruins came into view. Rob stared transfixed. He was almost there. With this first step, he could finally say that his journey across the world had begun. Rob was filled with both excitement and anxiety at the thought of traversing the same places as his father and uncle.

The caravan set up camp after they arrived at the entrance to the ruins. It was midday, and the group gathered around to eat whatever part of their provisions they rationed off. Rob, on the other hand, couldn't wait to look around. He didn't even hear the invitation from Gang to sit and eat with them first.

The place certainly lived up to their reputation as ruins. Almost nothing was left of the once great civilization. Only tiny fragments of the city's architecture could be gleaned from the deteriorating remnants. As he continued his search, he came across the reason that most alchemists wanted to come here. Standing several feet tall was a huge alchemical mural set in stone. As one of the first ever records of alchemy, it had huge historical significance.

He stepped in front of the monument and gazed up at it, admiring every single detail that went into the elaborate design. Despite the upper portion having been lost, it was still quite a sight to behold. Rob rested the palm of his hand on the mural's face, thinking, _"Finally, I get to stand by myself in front of the same place that my father and uncle visited before."_ He turned his attention to the transmutation circle on his own hand. _"I wonder if I'll ever be able to live up to their name."_

Not wanting to worry the rest of the caravan, he headed back to the campsite with a little more pride under his belt. Everyone was still eating and chatting, so Rob pulled out a container of chicken and noodles that his mother had given him and dug in. The group was getting drunk off their laughter, telling lively stories one after another. Rob found a story about his father and tenacious sand lizard especially amusing.

Their frivolity was disturbed by the men's camels' bellows. They looked over to see what was going on and saw another group approaching the ruins. Rob counted ten total, and they were going at a brisk pace. Gang's face grew serious, as did a few of the others. He signaled to a few of the men, and they brought the camels behind them. They started unloading some of the goods and hid them in the ruins.

"Hey, Gang, what's going on?" Rob asked. Though he had traveled with this group multiple times, he had never seen him make such a stern face.

"Sorry to say it, but it seems we were tailed by a group of bandits," he answered. Rob's expression changed from curiosity to shock in seconds. Gang sighed and added, "This really pisses me off! We would have had such a good season too."

"What are you gonna do?" By now, Rob went from shocked to concerned. In most circumstances, Gang was a lively spirit. To see him down like this really set Rob back a bit.

"All we can do his hide some of the loot, offer the bandits the rest, and hope that they believe it. To be honest, no one here has any fighting knowledge. There's no way we'd be able to fight back, and I'm not going to risk my companions' lives for the sake of a few extra cens."

"But there has to be something! You can't just let them walk over you after you've worked so hard!"

"Let it go, Robert!" Gang was getting flustered. Rob could tell he wanted to fight back just as much as him. "Just leave it alone. We can't take on bandits, end of story. We're merchants, not soldiers!"

The bandits were at the ruin's entrance just after Gang's men returned from their job. Their brisk pace turned into a slow walk. All ten got off of their camels and approached him and the rest of the caravan. Their leader, who was noticeably larger than the his comrades, came a bit closer with an arrogant strut. Gang remained seated, as did Rob and everyone else.

"You know," the bandit leader began, "it's nice to see such diligent merchants on their way to trade their goods. It makes me think, 'Hey, time for me to get in on some of that action!' Don't you think?

Gang's response was quick and to the point. "Just take what you want and go." He had the look of a man utterly defeated and helpless. Rob hated that look, and he hated the bandits for giving it to him.

The bandit leader was about to head over to the camels for his loot, but Rob got up and stood in his way. Everyone on both sides was surprised by this. Gang in particular got wide-eyed. The bandit looked at him for a moment, puzzled. Then he let out a short burst of laughter. When he snapped out of it, he looked down on Rob with a sly smile.

He turned to Gang and asked, "Is this guy new or something?" Without even waiting for an answer, he turned his attention back to Rob. "Look, kid, you're young, so I'll cut you a break. A teenage merchant like you couldn't take on ten, professional thieves. So just sit back down and nothing will happen to you." He tried to step past Rob, but he matched him without so much as a flinch.

Gang chirped in this time, "Rob, what the hell do you think you're doing? You tryin' to get killed!" Rob could see the man's fists clench in frustration.

"You should listen to your boss, boy." The bandit was less friendly this time. It was obvious that he didn't like being stood up to. "Sit. Back. Down."

Rob looked into the eyes of his assailant and very clearly stated, "No."

Something must have caught the bandit off-guard, because he suddenly entered into another fit of laughter. "Wha-what's with those eyes?" His laughter continued. "They're gold! That's the funniest thing I've ever seen! Hey, hey, how much do you think I could get for those?" The man calmed down and added, "Alright, you made me laugh, so you get to live. All the same, you need to move."

He reached for Rob's shoulder; but in a flash, Rob grabbed his forearm, twisted it back, released, and applied a strong fist to the chest that sent the bandit staggering backwards. Stunned, he checked the place of impact for sign of injury. As if in response to his confusion, Rob simply said, "I'm not a merchant." Even Gang had to double take at what just happened.

The bandit regained composure quickly. "Heh, no, I guess you're not." After raising a hand to silence his gossiping thieves, he added "So what? Were you hired by these guys? Well, looks like your outta luck, cuz now you're definitely dead." The man took out a long knife from his belt and brandished it in the air. "No one lays a finger on me and gets away with it. Can't have any embarrassing rumors spreading now, can we?"

"Give up and you can go." Rob said these words with such a calm bluntness that the onlookers weren't sure if he actually said them. No one there thought that anyone was capable of acting so steadfast against a bandit leader.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" The man acted like he was staring at a crazy person. Everything about him suggested that he was in a complete state of disbelief. "You've got it all wrong, buddy. It's over. It's done. What you just said is something that I'd say to you, but it's too late for that. Yeah, you got a lucky shot, but that's it. You're finished. The jokes over!"

In a loud shout, he lunged at Rob, the knife aimed straight for his chest. In a motion just as natural and fluid as the last; Rob grabbed the man's wrist, let the knife thrust to his side, and forced the man's arm behind his back using his shoulder as leverage. During all this, he activated the circle on his left hand, causing the oil and sweat on his scan to transmute into ink. Rob drew a simple transmutation circle on the bandit's back in less than a second, a skill taught to him by his mother, and activated it with a firm press. That spot on his back burst into flames, and the man was left rolling around on the sand, trying desperately to extinguish it.

Gang and his caravan, along with the remainder of the bandits, just watched in shocked silence as the man lay down, back to the sun, whimpering in pain. Before the bandits had any time to collect themselves, Rob drew a second, larger circle in the sand with his foot equally as fast as the first. Once activated, bars of sand rose up around the bandits and transmuted into iron bars, sealing them inside. The same happened to the leader, though he was in a separate cage.

As the man continued quivering like an infant, Rob took five small daggers from a pouch strapped to his side, all five with a little talisman attached to each. He placed them at five points around the band leader's makeshift prison, all equidistant from both each other and the prison's center. Stepping back, he drew a third circle and placed five more daggers at similar points along it. Activating this circle caused the reaction to be shifted to the initial daggers' location. A soft light emitted from the area, and the man slowly got up as though the pain was gone.

"There, I've numbed the pain and some basic first aid," Rob began. "You should be fine, the burn really wasn't that bad. These bars should dissipate in about twenty-four hours. Please leave when they do."

While collecting his daggers, the bandit asked him, "Why did you help me?" His tone indicated that, despite all that happened, he still had some pride left in him.

Rob glanced over at him and answered, "I don't know. I guess I just didn't want to leave you like that." Rob went to help the Gang and the others load the camels up again before making their way through the ruins.

Not long after they began their ride, Gang finally returned to his usual upbeat personality. "Wow, Rob!" he said. "That was something else! I mean, I knew you were learning a lot of things from your folks, but I had no idea you were so far along!"

Rob's face became bright red. "Oh no, I'm not all that far along. My mom and dad are a lot stronger than I am."

"Well, I've seen your father in action before, so I don't doubt that. Still, you were pretty impressive out there." Gang gave him a couple sharp pats on the back that almost knocked him off of his camel. "If you ask me, you're well on your way to doing your family name proud."

He smiled and answered, "Thanks, Gang. That means a lot."

Rob stopped for a second as they came across the monument. He let the other go on ahead as he took just a little bit longer to look at the beautiful mural. He truly wished, with all of his might, that he would be able to contribute something to the family legacy. After all that he'd been told about what they had done, it seemed almost impossible to live up to it. Regardless, he would do as much as he could to make wish come true.

"Rob! Come on or you're gonna get left behind!" Rob couldn't here him over his thoughts, so Gang called out to him again. "Hey, Robert Elric! Hurry up!" He heard him this time, and after a short, affirmative wave, he caught up with the troupe. All the while, thoughts of exploring the entirety of Amestris swam in his head.


	2. The Loathsome Cripple

The complete merger of Amestris and Xing, that was the perfect way to describe the current state of Youswell. The town was bustling with activity, and renovations had taken place left and right. Buildings combined the architecture of both countries, creating the most unique atmosphere in the country. Everywhere you looked, you saw both Amestrian and Xingese people walking the streets. Trying to guess the majority was a futile game.

Robert Elric sat down a cafe in the center of the town. Seeing the sites had worn him out. Spending hours on his feet was exhausting, especially after a long camel ride, and the outdoor tables were very relaxing. He took off the cloak he wore in the desert, only just realizing that he still had it on, and dusted off his gray slacks and tan long-sleeve shirt. Rob also straightened part of the shirt's burgundy trim that got ruffled under the cloak.

Around this time, the waiter approached him and, with all due formality, asked him what he wanted. Rob ordered a tea made famous by the Chang clan. The waiter left after handing him a newspaper from a nearby stand. With little else to do, he looked at some of the articles on the front page. Among them were _'The Cretan and Aerugoan Fronts under Less Pressure'_, _'Central Preparing for Fuhrer's Day'_, and _'Search for the Fake Handicapped Boy Continues'._ A man plopped down in the chair across from him. Glancing up from the paper, he met Gang's eyes and large grin.

"The market this year is unbelievable!" He was so excited that Rob thought he was about to break down crying. "I can't believe how much profit we're making! I heard that good from Chang were growing in popularity, but this is just ridiculous! Haha, I'm gonna live better than the emperor after this one! And it's all thanks to you!"

Rob blushed. "Oh come on, would you cut it out. You're making too much of it. I was just using what I was taught, nothing else."

Gang dismissed that statement with a wave of his hand. "Yeah, yeah. I swear, you're so modest it's annoying." He saw the newspaper in hand. "What are you reading?"

Rob pointed to the newspaper and answered, "This? Just a newspaper. The waiter handed it to me."

As if on cue, the waiter came back and handed him his tea. Then he directed his attention towards Gang, asking, "Is there anything I can get you today, sir?"

"Huh? Oh, just coffee will be fine." The waiter left as Gang motioned for the paper. "Mind if I take a look?" Rob passed it to him. After a moment, he said, "I know about this 'fake handicap' guy. Some of my customers were talking about it. Apparently there's this brat who goes around using a pair of crutches, but he's not really hurt. A lot of people are upset because they gave him money or other things out of sympathy before finding out he was really ok."

Rob raised an eyebrow. "Why would he pretend to be handicapped? Did he really think he could get away with it?"

"Well, according to what I've heard, the kid's really young, not even a teenager yet. He probably just thought it would be a funny prank at first and kept doing it once he realized he could get something out of it."

"No one likes being swindled," the waiter said when he came back with a cup of coffee. "Being swindled by a little kid just makes it even worse. It's partly bad luck on the kid's part though. He was found out around the time of the largest trade season of the year. Everyone's already on edge worrying about their inventory and profit margins. Any foul play practically dooms you to outcast status."

"Doesn't he have any family that someone could get in touch with?" Gang asked. "His parents should be the ones dealing with his behavior, not the town."

"The child's an orphan. As far as anyone knows, he has no family. It's sad, but at the same time, it makes him all the more difficult to find."

A commotion was stirring not too far away, and Rob and the others turned to see what was going on. A group of people were chasing a young boy through the street. He didn't look older than ten. Rob saw the terror and remorse in the boy's expression as he ran past, shouting "I'm sorry!" with every step. The small mob, either deaf or indifferent to his cries, continued pursuit.

Rob looked to the waiter and began, "Was that – "

Cutting him off, the gentlemen answered, "Yes, that's the boy. It's sad that we don't even know the poor kid's name."

"You aren't gonna join in with the rest of them?" Gang chirped in. "I thought everyone in this town hated his guts."

"I don't like what he did, but I was never one of his victims. The more vehement group is made out of merchants who were tricked out of money or goods."

Rob asked, "What'll they do when they finally catch him?" The faces on the mob gave him cause for concern. It was hard to imagine that people could get so upset over a single kid.

"I don't know. I'd like to think they would turn him over to the authorities, but who knows what they'll do in that state. Now, if you two will excuse me, I have tables that need attending to."

After the waiter had moved on to other customers, Rob leaned forward and asked, "So what do you think we should do?"

Gang eyed him as one would a crazy person. "What do you mean 'what do you think we should do'? Why should we do anything? This isn't our problem. This is the town's problem. You're strong and all, but I don't think alchemy is gonna help solve this situation."

Rob slumped back in his chair. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I still can't help but feel sorry for him though."

Gang took a large swig of his coffee, completely ignoring its heat, and said, "It's the kid's fault in the first place. He's gotta learn that actions have consequences, especially if he's on his own. Now come on, let's go find a good hotel for everyone. I already know the perfect place." Gang laughed as he signaled for the waiter to bring the bill. With another large grin, he added, "Don't worry, both this and the hotel is on me."

#####

The inside of the hotel was just as Rob remembered it. Every time he and his family passed through Youswell on their way to Resembool, they stayed at this hotel. His father said it held sentimental value for both him and his brother. Not to mention that its rustic, cabin-like design carried a strong nostalgic air. The way the hotel manager always reacted when they came in was proof enough.

"Robert! It's been too long!" said a man with graying hair as they entered. He came around the front desk and embraced the young man. After a quick look around, he asked, "Where are your parents?"

"I'm by myself this time," Rob answered. "Wanted to do a little traveling of my own."

"Oh, is that so? Good for you! If you ever need a rest, feel free to stop on by." He laughed and stepped over to Gang to hammer out the expenses.

Not wanting to disturb them, he went over to an empty booth on the side of the lobby and sat down. He studied his surroundings with pride. From the old-fashioned décor, that remained from when this town's primary source of income was coal mining, to the people humble amount of patrons that loitered about. Every sight and sound in this place made him feel like he could scratch off another destination off of his list. He thought, "_Just another step on the road, right, Dad?"_

In the middle of his thoughts, Gang joined him at the booth. "Alright, everything's been taken care of," he told him. Then, a sudden realization sprouting within him, he started reaching into his bag for something. "I just remembered, I got you something while I was out and about. Some woman was selling these on the side of the road, and I thought it'd be perfect for you."

He pulled out a tiny, stuffed, toy panda that was nearly identical to the panda that his mother always kept with her. A wave of pure terror rammed into and flooded Rob's mind as he fell out of the booth, holding out his hands in protest. Not sure what was happening, and bit unnerved himself now, Gang put the small toy back in his bag. "Um, are you alright?" he asked.

Rob clung to his own head as he recounted the horror. "You don't know, you don't know. Those tiny little eyes. Always staring. Always plotting. Every single time I see that cute, miniature head look my way, I know he's thinking of a way to get rid of me. It even sneaks into my bed at night and just stares at me until I wake up. That's it! He just stares! Why! Why can't he just kill me and get it over with!"

Gang looked at him with pity and responded, "No offense, but your mental scars are really lame."

Rob's memory's made him tear up as he got back into the booth. "How would you know! You weren't there!"

The manager walked over, carrying an old register in his arms. His face conjured up the emotions of both embarrassment and hopefulness all at once. He plopped it down onto the table and turned to Rob. "This is kind of embarrassing, and I hate to treat you like an employee; but everyone is busy with other duties, and there's an impatient guest that I need to deal with right away. You're the only other person here that I actually know; so, if you wouldn't mind, could you possibly take this out back and put it in the garbage bin for me?

Without a second guess, he answered, "Is that all? Sure, that's no problem." He stood and picked the register up off the table, which was a lot lighter than he expected.

"Thanks so much! Just head on through the door in the back corner opposite the stairs. And thanks again! We got a new register today and I wanted to get rid of the old one today."

Rob grinned while he made his way to the aforementioned door. "Don't worry about it. Happy to do it."

Outside in the alleyway, he was greeted by the bright moon and stars in the night sky. Though days had already passed since he began his journey, the weight of it all had only hit him just recently. With every step he took he got closer and closer to leaving his own mark on the Elric legacy. Rob wondered if he would have the same grandiose adventures his father and uncle. Though he wanted to be a hero himself, he hoped that he wouldn't have to go through everything that they did.

After he put the register-turned-paperweight into the dumpster, he was preparing to go back inside when he heard the sound of sniffling and crying not too far away. He followed the path to the back of the alley and turned to his left. There, in the darkness illuminated only by the night sky, the small boy that fled from the angry crowd sat bundled up against a dead end.

The boy must have heard his footsteps, because stopped and looked up in Rob's direction. Fear suddenly enveloping him, he tried to scramble up the wall blocking his escape. After repeated failures, the boy squatted down into the corner and cried, "Please don't hurt me! I'm sorry! I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to make everyone mad!" The kid started balling.

Rob tried to calm him down. "Hey, relax. I'm not going to hurt you." He took a few steps closer but still kept a reasonable distance. "I just want to talk." He took another step forward and asked, "Who are you?"

With a nervous voice, the boy answered, "I'm Dilan." Still scared, he offered nothing more than that and stayed curled up in the corner.

"I heard you did something to make people here mad. What happened?" Rob made sure his voice was as gentle as possible.

Dilan began sobbing again. "I just wanted to make it up to my sister." His words were only just audible among all the blubbering. "I wasn't trying to make people mad at me. It was for my sister!"

"What happened to your sister?" Rob took one more step forward, trying to gain the frantic boy's trust before he tried to run again.

Still crying, the boy said, "It was my fault. We were playing upstairs and I pushed her. I didn't mean for her to fall down the stairs! I didn't mean to break he leg!"

Needless to say, Rob was a bit shocked at what he just heard. "She broke her leg?" He still didn't know why he did what he did, and he wanted to find out.

The tears began to flow more freely. "Yeah, and while she was still hurt, there was a fire in our house one night. It came from our parents' room, and they wouldn't come out no matter how much I called. That's when I ran out of the house. My sister couldn't get out because of her leg, but I was too scared. I was too scared to help her, so I ran away."

Rob couldn't believe his ears. Though he's been told of the horrors that his parents went through, they felt like far off bits of history. The thought of hearing about these kinds of things today, from a young boy no less, threw off his guard. He wasn't sure what he should do in this situation. He wasn't even sure if there was anything he could do in this situation.

Dilan's tears subsided for a moment while he took a better look at the person he was divulging this to. He saw the tattoos on Rob's hands and asked, "Um, mister, are you an alchemist?"

The question snapped him back into reality, but all he could answer with was another question. "What?"

The boy pointed to the tattoos and added, "That's what those drawings mean, right? I've seen a couple of them around here before, and people talk about them a lot. You are an alchemist, aren't you?" There was a strangely pleading tone in his voice when he asked.

Still unsure of the point, he answered, "Yeah, I'm an alchemist. Why?"

"Could you break my leg for me please?"

Rob's breath caught in his throat. "_What did he just say?"_ he thought. "_He can't have said what I think he did. There's no way someone would ask that. Even if someone would, this guy's just a little kid. Why would he ask me to break his leg?"_ Out loud, he asked in a kind tone, "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

Dilan twiddled his thumbs and asked, "I was wondering if you could break my leg for me." The deadpan way he asked was too surreal. "I tried to do it myself, but I got scared and couldn't." Whatever the reason may have been, he was serious.

Rob shook his head, trying to make sense of everything. "Why do you want me to break your leg?" He couldn't believe he was even asking that question.

He got teary-eyed again. "It's for my sister. She died because of me. I need to go through what she did. So I wanted to break my leg for her, but I couldn't even do that. So I pretended. Then people found out and got really mad at me. I just wanted to make it up to my sister! I thought you said you were an alchemist. You guys change things, right? Can't you change my leg to broken! It's for my sister!"

"I can't do something like that!" Rob said. He saw how serious the boy was, and he needed to let the boy know that there was no way he would do that to him.

"Why not? You can't do it?" Dilan ended the last question with a huff, obviously disappointed by the response he received.

"That not what I use alchemy for! I use it to help people, to protect people. I won't use it to break your leg. I feel sorry for what happened to you, but doing this won't make your sister any happier."

"What do you know! Stupid alchemist!" Letting his tears run again, he dashed past Rob and into maze of back alleys to who knew where.

Not sure what to do, and feeling entirely drained, Rob went back into the inn. Gang and the manager called out to him, asking what took him so long, but their words went unnoticed. All he wanted to do was head to his room, fall asleep in his bed, and try to forget the conversation that just took place. He wasn't used to it, wasn't ready for it. It was too sudden. He needed time to think and to rest. He decided that now was the perfect time for the latter.

#####

"Hey, Rob! Are you there? Rob!" Gang shouted as the group all sat around eating breakfast the next morning. "What's wrong with you? Ever since last night, you've been acting strange."

Rob absentmindedly teased the eggs on his plate with his fork. Without even looking up, he said, "I met that kid last night." He kept playing with his food after he said it.

Gang raised an eyebrow. "What kid are you talking about?" His indifference caused Gang to forget about the discussion they had earlier almost immediately after it was over.

"That fake crippled kid from the newspaper. He was right outside the inn the other night." He managed to take a bite of his food this time before recounting all that had happened last night.

Rolling his eyes, Gang answered, "Dammit, Rob, I told you not to get in this! Now look at you. It's pathetic! You've got to be able to snap back if you want to survive this journey of yours." He thumped him on the head with his fork. "Wake up!"

"I know!" he retorted. "I just- I'm just not used to it yet." He took another bite then went right back to playing with his food.

"Maybe not, but you're gonna have to get used to it. Bad things happen sometimes, and you've got to learn how to accept it and carry on. You can't make everything better just because you want to. That's something everyone has to learn." Gang finished his breakfast and added, "Now come on, let's get some fresh air. It should do you good."

Even in the mornings, Youswell was buzzing with activity. Merchants took no breaks as they pushed whatever they could onto their customers. People celebrating good deals and moping over bad ones filled the streets as the business proprietors counted their new fortunes. Regardless, it was difficult to drown out the ruckus that was fast approaching.

Just down the street, yet again, Dilan was being pursued by a mob of the townspeople. Like before, he shouted a constant stream of apologies as he ran. Though smaller than the previous mob, this group was just as diligent in their pursuit, yelling futile commands at their prey. The amount of emotion they harbored in their attempt to capture the child was comical.

Gang sighed. "You've got to be kidding me." He glanced over at Rob, only to see that he began running as well, ahead of them all. "Rob! What the hell are you doing! Isn't your train coming soon!"

Over his shoulder, Rob answered, "Just meet me at the train station with my bag! It's in my room!" Gang said something back, but Rob didn't hear it. He was too busy thinking of something he could do. He might not be able to fulfill Dilan's request, but there had to be way to help him out somehow.

Checking the alleyways that he passed on his way through the street, he came across one with single wall separating the two halves of the path. He turned and, waiting for Dilan to get close enough to see him, waved to get his attention. Dilan saw him while he ran and waved back. Rob signaled for him to follow and darted into the alley.

Activating the circles on his right hand, he drew a circle on the brick wall just in front of the wall blocking their escape. When the boy turned the corner and caught up to him, he initiated the circle and a wall identical to the one blocking their way shot out just in front of them, between Dilan and his pursuers. The mob's confusion could be heard from the other side. Meanwhile, Rob drew another circle and created a door in the original wall, allowing the two of them passage to their exit.

"Why did you help me?" The boy asked once they were safe. "I thought you said that you wouldn't."

"I couldn't do what you asked," he answered. "But I told you, I use my alchemy to help people and protect them. I just wanted to be able to do something."

The boy smiled, thanked him, and then ran off to wherever his hiding spot was. Not wanting to stick around long either, Rob made his way to the station as quickly as he could. He made sure to use different streets, just in case the mob saw enough to recognize him. Fortunately, it wasn't far from the hotel he was staying at.

Gang was waiting for him on the platform, toting Rob's traveling bag by the handle. When he saw him coming, he walked over to him and smacked him upside his head. "What were you thinking?" he asked.

Rob rubbed the spot that was struck. "What do you mean? I went to help him. And for your information, I helped him escape from the crowd."

Gang shook his head in frustration. "Yeah, once. What, you think they aren't going to go after him anymore? You're just delaying the inevitable! And what if you had gotten caught too? Would you have used your alchemy to hurt people and escape? Would you have let them take you in his place?"

Rob wasn't prepared for all those questions. "I don't know!" Rob was growing frustrated as well. "I just wanted to do something! It didn't matter what it was!"

Gang, sensing how much this was bothering him, eased off a bit. "Well, I suppose there's a certain benefit to being so stubborn." He handed him his bag and added, "Just try and see it from the perspective of the people who have to worry about you from time to time." Rob took the bag and nodded. "So where are you planning to go first? Resembool?"

"No," he answered. "I need to go to Central first. I haven't congratulated my cousin for becoming a state alchemist yet."

"Alright. Congratulate her for me too. Good luck, Rob."

Rob was one of the last people to board the train. The atmosphere was warm and inviting. He found a seat by the window on the platform's side. He set his bag on the opposite, cushioned seat and waved out the window at Gang. He responded in kind. He continued waving even as the train blew its whistle and pulled away from the station. Once he was out of sight, Rob sat back in his seat, anxious and a bit intimidated about the rest of his journey.

#####

Dilan was panting as he just managed to escape another crowd of people. It was night now, so this would likely be the last chase of the night. It was for the best, because he was too tired to run anymore that day. He went to his corner of the alley and just sat against the wall, trying to rest up for the next day.

"_I'm sorry, Rob," _he thought. "_You went to all that trouble to help me, but it turned out the same way it always does: with me getting chased around by everyone I see. I wish I could give up my sister, but I just can't."_

While he brooded, the sound of footsteps coming his way caught his attention. Too tired to even attempt to escape, he just gazed up at the person. A tinge of relief filled his heart when he saw that it wasn't anyone he recognized, but that soon made way for curiosity at this strange person. Aside from the normal clothing and cloak that he wore, what caught his eyes was the mask he wore over his face. It was an ivory mask with a dolphin silhouette painted on it in a deep blue.

"Who are you?" the boy asked. He was only half-awake at that point.

In a deep voice, the man answered, "Someone who can make your desires come true."

Dilan was fully awake now. He looked wide-eyed at the man who gave him hope that his wishes would be fulfilled. "Really? Can you really do that?"

"Of course. Unlike alchemy, which follows rules that limit humanity's growth, I have no such limitations. All you need to do is ask and I will give it to you, free of charge. Can alchemy boast that same level of freedom?"

The hopeful kid displayed his right leg for the man and asked, "Then, could you please break my leg for me, so that I can make it up to my sister?"

"Of course." Without another word, the masked man pulled out a shotgun from underneath his cloak and blew Dilan's leg away, then and there.

His mind was too shocked to register the pain as blood spurted from the new stump as what used to be his leg lay there in a grotesque mess. He couldn't even speak, and it was only a matter of time before the pain set in. "_Help,"_ Dilan thought. "_Anyone? I'm sorry for what I did. Please, help."_ As his these thoughts filled his head in vain, the masked man walked away into the night. He kept his eyes on that cold, uncaring figure until the loss of blood gave him to the darkness.


End file.
